The Best of Crete

Travel

Passports non-refundable. No refund can be given for non- Please ensure your 10-year British Passport is not used portions. out of date and is valid for a full six months beyond the duration of your visit. The name on your passport must match the name on your flight Baggage Allowance ticket/E-ticket, otherwise you may be refused We advise that you stick to the baggage boarding at the airport. allowances advised. If your luggage is found to be heavier than the airlines specified baggage Visas allowance the charges at the airport will be hefty. Visas are not required for Greece for citizens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For all other With Easyjet your ticket includes one hold bag of passport holders please check the visa up to 23kg plus one cabin bag no bigger than 56 x requirements with the appropriate embassy. 45 x 25cm including handles, pockets and wheels.

Greek Consulate: 1A Holland Park, London W11 For more information please visit 3TP. Tel: 020 7221 6467 www.easyjet.com

Labels Tickets Please use the luggage labels provided. It is useful Included with this documentation is an e-ticket, to have your home address located inside your which shows the reference number for your flight. suitcase should the label go astray. EasyJet have now replaced all their airport check- in desks with EasyJet Baggage Drop desks. Departure Tax Therefore, you must check-in online and print UK Flight Taxes are included in the price of your out your boarding passes before travelling. holiday. Checking in online also provides the opportunity for you to pre-book seats, if you wish, at an Transfers additional cost. On arrival at Heraklion Airport please collect your luggage and exit the luggage area and proceed Online check-in is available 30 days prior to travel until you are completely out of the building. You using the reference number provided. Please see will find your tour manager situated just outside the enclosed e-ticket for more information or visit; the arrivals building, holding a Travel Editions sign. www.easyjet.com The journey time is approximately one hour

Please check that the details on your Special Requests documentation are accurate and that all names If you haven’t done so already, please notify are spelt correctly and match the names on your Travel Editions of any special requests as soon as passport. Your flight ticket is non-transferable and possible to allow sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements.

Accommodation

Hermes Hotel, Agios Nikolaos Dining Situated a few minutes’ walk from the centre of The standard of food in Greece is excellent and Agios Nikolaos, the 4-star Dessole Hermes Hotel is offers a remarkable variety of freshly prepared a well-established hotel that has a very convenient and very tasty dishes, many of which use locally location. Positioned on the sea front, it is an easy 5 grown products and locally produced olive oil. minute walk to the centre of Agios Nikolaos, which Although you have half board included in the tour provides the opportunity to wander out, explore there will be the opportunity to eat out at local and find anything you may need or to enjoy dinner tavernas during the lunch breaks on the tour days. (HB is included but you might like an atmospheric dinner by the lake or the sea during your stay) or In Greece, and particularly in Crete, the locals drinks in one of the many tavernas and cafes nearly always eat ‘Mezedes’ style. This generally scattered throughout Agios Nikolaos. means ordering several dishes, starters and/or main plates, whatever takes your fancy, to put in The hotel offers comfortable rooms, with sea view the middle of the table for all to share. It’s a very (supplement applicable), balcony, air-conditioning sociable way to eat and a great way of tasting lots (centrally controlled), TV and bathroom with of different dishes! Don’t be shy in the amount bath/shower, pool towels, safe box and fridge. The you order, or if you only find yourselves ordering 'elevated' pool, located on the 5th floor, overlooks starters – any combination is acceptable. The cost the sea. Facilities at the hotel include: the hotels of a dinner for two with local wine and local dishes main restaurant, located on the 5th floor, where is approximately 35 to 40 Euros. breakfast and dinner are served, buffet style, combining a selection of Greek and international When ordering fish in Crete you will find the price cuisine; the Bay View pool bar, located on the on the menu relates to a cost per kilo. Don’t be terrace next to the swimming pool; the Cafe Del put off by this. You are expected to go into the Mar Blue, open throughout the day for drinks and kitchen, choose the fish you want and then it will snacks, and the Hermes Bar, open in the evening. be weighed in front of you so you know what you A small beach can be accessed via a tunnel direct will pay. from the hotel and other beaches in the area can be accessed easily on foot. Nearly all tavernas sell their own ‘open’ wine, known as village wine. It is something of an For more information visit the hotel website: acquired taste, but it goes well with the local food. www.hermeshotel.info The Greeks are very proud of their wine and nearly all Cretans make their own. Prices of local ‘village’ wine are usually between 3 and 5 euros per half The Porto Veneziano Hotel, Chania litre.

The Porto Veneziano Hotel, Chania is situated in a Local drinks are ouzo, raki, metaxa and, of course, privileged position, right on the waterfront at the Greek wine. Raki is the local firewater! This is eastern end of the Venetian harbour town of distilled from the residue of the grapes after Chania. The hotel was completely renovated in making wine. You will probably find you come 2013 and offers comfortable, well-presented across this whether you want to or not, as it is very accommodation and is well-located for exploring often served, complimentary, at the end of a meal. and for really being able to enjoy this spectacular town on foot. Meals included in your holiday For more information visit the hotel website: Breakfast included daily, plus four dinners (at http://www.portoveneziano.gr/ Hermes Hotel) and three lunches.

Destination

Crete local’s place amidst the tourism of the town, which Crete is a fascinating destination for a cultural and gives it a very authentic atmosphere. historic tour with its wealth of sights reflecting There is an archaeological museum in Agios both its ancient Minoan culture, dating back some Nikolaos but, due to renovation work, this has not 3,000 years, as well as a more recent history. been open for the last 3 years. It may be open Combined with the island’s fantastic natural when you visit but please check with your tour scenery; picturesque harbours, fertile regions of manager or the hotel reception before going to fruit trees, silver green olive groves, majestic visit. mountains and superb coastline, this tour ensures a diverse and attractive insight into this fabulous island. Chania The final four nights of the tour is based in the Places of interest included in the tour: Venetian harbour town of Chania. Set against a spectacular backdrop of majestic mountains and Agios Nikolaos aquamarine seas, Chania is one of Crete’s most alluring towns. Its troubled history of occupation Agios Nikolaos is a medium-size town with a small- by Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Genoese, Turks town feel. You can walk around it easily and can and Egyptians has left a rich architectural heritage, get to know it and feel familiar with the place very particularly in the old Venetian quarter around the quickly. harbour. Highlights of this charming and quaint The town has ‘three faces to the sea’: The Lake district include the magnificent harbour, Naval and port, Kitroplatia beach and the Marina. The Museum, Mosque of the Janissaries and the lake is a folklore-inspiringly deep body of water covered market that sells an excellent variety of which is connected to the sea by a narrow inlet. It local produce. is surrounded and overlooked by cafes and restaurants - a busy gathering place for local For more information about Chania visit: residents and visitors alike. http://www.chaniatourism.com/

The beach at Kitroplatia, on the east side of the Panagia Kera town, is one of the few in Crete to provide that The ancient Byzantine church of Panagia Kera, town-centre-by-the-sea beach location, together dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, with its own original tavernas and cafes and a has some of the best-preserved and probably the handful of hotels and apartments. most famous set of Byzantine frescoes found A stroll south from the port, up to the square and anywhere in East Crete. The church has three down the other side of the town, brings you to the naves and dates from the 13th century, as do marina, where the extravagant….and quite often some of the frescoes. far less extravagant boats are moored. Many churches can be found scattered within the Mochlos streets of Agios Nikolaos - including the small Mochlos is a small picturesque fishing village church which lends its name to the town. located in the gulf of Mirabello in Eastern Crete. It is scenic, quiet and laid back, with only a few There is a good choice of shops with original items restaurants and cafes and a great place for a lunch on offer, from woven fabrics, to cups, mugs and by the sea! china wear and a miscellany of clothes, house decor and local food products and delicacies.

Agios Nikolaos - apart from being a summer draw for visitors – is, for the most part, open in winter and so remains, winter and summer, very much a

Knossos Polyrinnia Little was known about the ancient Minoan 7km south of Kissamos are the ruins of Polyrinnia. civilisation until 1894 with the discovery, by British The city was founded by the Dorians in the 6th archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, of the palace at century. When the Romans ruled over Crete they Knossos. Excavations began in 1900 AD, which fortified the city of Polyrinnia and it became the revealed the remains of an extensive palace and administrative centre of western Crete. The surrounding town. Dating from 1900 BC, the Venetians also used the fortified city as a fortress Palace was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 during later years, so the ruins stretch back some BC, rebuilt and then finally destroyed in 1375 BC time with some very interesting architecture. by fire. Controversially restored by Evans, a visit here gives a fascinating insight into this ancient Tour manager and highly-developed civilization. Your Tour Manager will be on hand throughout the tour to ensure that everything operates For more information about Knossos visit: according to plan. If you have any problems or http://ancient-greece.org/ questions please see him/her immediately – it is

often possible to resolve complaints or problems The Heraklion Archaeological Museum very quickly on the spot and ensure your holiday is The excellent Archaeological Museum at Heraklion as trouble free as possible. has a fantastic display of finds from sites all over Crete but, in particular, Minoan finds. It includes some of the most famous and well-known discoveries including the Phaestos Disc, the ring of King Minos, Bull's head Rhyton, double headed axes, frescoes from Knossos, peak sanctuary figurines and the exquisite gold bee pendant. It also now houses many finds that have never been displayed before.

Spinalonga Fortified by the Venetians in the late 16th century this small island rests quietly in the middle of the beautiful bay of Elounda. It was successfully defended against the Turks until 1715, long after the rest of Crete had succumbed. In 1903 the Cretan authorities founded a leper colony here, which was inhabited until 1957. The 17th century fortress is well-preserved as are the ruins of the village which give a fantastic insight into a past way of life on the island. Our visit here involves a short ride by boat from the port of Elounda to the island.

Melidoni Cave and Margaritas Village The cave of Melidoni sits in an incredibly attractive region of the Rethymnon province. The views are wonderful and the landscape so typically Cretan; olive groves, agriculture and nature. The charming and picturesque village of Margaritas is well known for its pottery. The tradition of pottery goes back many generations.

water rather than mains water. Bottled water is readily available to buy in all of the local shops and The Basics very reasonable priced.

Climate – The weather in Greece at this time of Shopping - There are plenty of mini-markets for year is likely to be pleasant, but evenings can be any basic supplies you might need. The mini- quite cool and there is the chance of the odd markets are usually open from early in the shower. Our best advice is to come prepared. morning until late in the evening, seven days a Layers are useful as is a light rain jacket and small week. Cretan olive oil, olives and local honey are umbrella. all excellent produce if you are interested in taking Time – GMT +3 hours (Summer time Apr-Oct); a little bit of Crete home with you. You may see GMT + 2 (Standard time Nov-Mar). This means, people advertising honey on the side of the road summer or winter, Greece is 2 hours ahead of the or in Kafenions when you are out and about, this UK will usually be their own home produce and is Language – Greek often the best and most pure you can buy. Religion – Greek Orthodox Stamps - In most places you can purchase stamps Currency – Euro. €1 = 100 cents. Notes are in at the same time you purchase postcards. This is denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. much easier than trying to find a post office! Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, Plumbing - Unless there is information to the 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. contrary please do not put toilet paper down the Banks – Cashpoints compatible with international toilet. As you may know this is common practice in banking networks are located in all towns and Greece due to the narrowness of the waste pipes. cities, as well as airports and other spots. Those Please dispose of the paper in the bins provided, banks that still exchange foreign currencies into which will be regularly emptied by the hotel. local money will always charge a transaction fee, so withdrawing money from an ATM usually English newspapers – These can usually be found represents the most logical means of obtaining in various outlets. euros other than bringing euros with you from the UK. Telephones/mobiles – You should be able to use Banks in Crete are open Monday to Friday 8am – your mobile phone in Greece, depending on your 2pm. Agios Nikolaos has plenty of ATM machines operator and contract. If you are calling the UK easily accessed in the town. You can use a UK from a mobile in Greece, you will need to prefix debit card, using the same pin number you use in the number with the international code 0044. the UK, to withdraw cash. The instructions are in English. Just look for signs on ATM’s for Delta or Tipping –To keep our tours affordable, we do not Cirrus. increase the tour price by adding in tips. However, in the tourism industry, there is a certain level of Credit cards – Crete is very much a cash society so expectation that, when receiving a good service, credit cards are not widely accepted, however one does award with a tip. Tour Managers, more places are accepting these now, but it is best Representatives, Guides and Drivers appreciate a to check first in restaurants and shops that they tip at the end of their involvement with the tour, accept credit cards, if you wish to pay by card. but this is entirely at your discretion. We believe in Varying amounts of commission can be charged allowing you to tip according to your level of for credit card payments and you may like to check satisfaction with their services. these with your credit card supplier before travel. Most hotels will accept payments by credit card. Walking shoes – as you are visiting archaeological sites that can be rocky underfoot, we recommend Electricity – 220 volt, two-pin continental plug. that you take good shoes which have good gripping soles. Drinking water – Tap water is safe to drink although you should check at the hotel if the bathroom water is safe to drink as it could be tank

Health Insurance General Health Advice We suggest you take a good supply of your own European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) individual medicines with you and always keep It is essential to carry an EHIC card with you as this some in your hand luggage in case you get delayed will assist you if you are admitted to a hospital in or your luggage goes astray. General-purpose Greece. supplies for bites, stings, or scratches, and your The EHIC replaced the old E111 in 2006. Valid in all usual medication for headaches, or stomach EEA countries, the card lets you get state upsets are always recommended. Oral re- healthcare at a reduced cost or sometimes for hydration sachets are excellent for topping up salt free. It will cover you for treatment that is needed and glucose levels. to allow you to continue your stay until your Visit the NHS Fit for Travel website for more planned return. It also covers the treatment of generally information specific to the country you pre-existing medical conditions. are visiting – www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk Please note that the EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private Doctor/Dentist/Chemist medical healthcare or costs such as being flown back to the UK, or lost or stolen property. Please talk to your tour manager if you are feeling Therefore, it is important to have both an EHIC unwell and they will organise for you to see a and a valid private travel insurance policy. It is also Doctor if necessary. There is normally a charge of important to note that each country’s healthcare about 60 Euros for calling out a doctor (or more, system is slightly different, so the EHIC might not depending on the distance the doctor has to cover everything that would be generally free on travel) and there is also a charge to visit a Doctor. the NHS. Keep any receipts for insurance claims.

For more information about the EHIC please visit: https://www.ehic.org.uk Hospital The nearest hospitals to where you are staying are Travel Insurance in Agios Nikolaos and Chania. Your Tour We strongly recommend that you take out an Manager/hotel reception will assist if you need to appropriate travel insurance policy when you visit a hospital during your stay. travel abroad. If you require medical assistance Keep any receipts for insurance claims. whilst abroad it is essential that you contact the

emergency number of your insurance company to Inoculations advise them of the situation. You will NOT be No compulsory vaccinations are required for travel covered for any claim unless this procedure is in Greece. carried out. Your insurance company will then decide on the best course of action whilst in Pharmacies resort. Pharmacies throughout Greece are generally well- stocked and have knowledgeable staff who will, more often than not, speak good English.

Pharmacists will often be able to give advice and medicine for minor ailments. Pharmacies are open Monday to Friday but not on Saturdays.

Emergencies Should an emergency arise, please call our offices on: 00 44 20 7251 0045 (Mon-Fri 0900-1700),

Outside the above hours please telephone our emergency staff on: 00 30 6977 465 892 (Resort Manager) or 00 44 7899 796542 or 00 44 7831 133079 or 00 44 1235 850720 PLEASE USE THESE NUMBERS ONLY IN THE EVENT OF A GENUINE EMERGENCY.

If you are calling a Greek number from a UK mobile, you should prefix the number with the Greek international dialing code 0030.

If you find that you need consular assistance during your holiday:

British Vice Consulate Crete Candia Tower 17 Thalita Street, Ag. Dimitrios Square 71 202 Heraklion Crete Greece Email: [email protected]

Open to the public - by appointment only Tuesday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm

Please note that an appointment is not necessary for emergency cases requiring consular assistance. Telephone enquiries - Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm

In an emergency outside these hours please call the British Embassy Athens switchboard number: +30 210 7272600.

Travel Editions 3 Youngs Buildings, London, EC1V 9DB Tel: 0207 251 0045 Email: [email protected] www.traveleditions.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF PRINTING. IT IS MEANT AS A GUIDE ONLY AND WE CANNOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS OR SUBSEQUENT CHANGES.